Pre-production / planning process

Ask anyone who has ever produced a corporate promotional videos for UAE, and you might be surprised by what their answer is: the amount of preparation that needs to be done before filming even begins. Indeed, filming itself can seem a little anticlimactic in the grand scheme of things when considering all of the planning that goes into producing the perfect final product.

Defining the goal before anything else

All great marketing videos begin with an answer to one very specific question: What does the video need to persuade its audience to do? Schedule an appointment? Have enough trust in the brand to ask for a quote? Have faith that the firm will be able to meet their demands for a major deal? "Tell viewers about ourselves" lacks the necessary focus for writing an effective script. "Convince corporate customers of our reliability in handling large volumes" is much more concrete.

Understanding the audience watching it

A promo video for retail customers shopping at Dubai Mall would be quite different from a video for procurement managers assessing a B2B partner. The former may focus more on visuals and emotions, while the latter may have to deal with the aspects of credibility and scale very early in the video. This is where firms make the mistake of producing visually appealing videos without having any impact on their audiences.

Scripting and storyboarding

After determining the purpose and target audience, the process of writing the script can begin. This goes beyond just writing lines of dialogue and involves creating an outline of how things should be presented, beginning with what and progressing to the central message or narrative point and finally the way that it should end. Storyboards or shot lists are used to convert this script into visuals.

Choosing locations and people

The location in which the video is filmed speaks volumes. For example, a finance company based in the DIFC that chooses to film their video in their own office will convey credibility in a way that a typical studio set-up cannot. The selection of talent used in the video is another key consideration. Some organizations might choose to use a single, authoritative representative while others may have several employees discuss their jobs.

Logistics that quietly make or break the shoot

Things such as permits, filming around business hours, lighting for the location selected, and even just checking the availability of individuals to be filmed must all be taken care of ahead of time. An experienced team will take care of these things for you, but it makes the process much easier if you have one internal person handling your affairs.

Why this stage deserves real time

At times, companies might be in a hurry to start filming right away and think that whatever isn’t covered in the shooting can always be done during editing. That’s almost never the case. A credible video production agency dubai would probably insist against your rushing into things as that’s where the bulk of the value lies.

If you’re looking to engage the services of a video production company in dubai, be sure to ask them how they conduct their pre-production.

Conclusion

The recording itself is just the visible tip of an iceberg. Well thought out planning, objectives and targeting a specific audience is what distinguishes a good promotional video from a bad one. This phase really reaps benefits in the end.

FAQs

How long does pre-production usually take?
For most corporate promotional videos, one to three weeks, depending on how many stakeholders need to weigh in and how complex the locations or logistics are.

Do we need a professional script, or can we just talk naturally on camera?
A loose script or talking points generally work better than either a rigid script or no preparation at all. It keeps messaging consistent while still sounding natural.

Who from our company should be involved in planning?
Ideally someone from marketing or leadership who understands the company's positioning, plus anyone who will appear on camera.

Can the production team help us figure out our messaging if we're not sure?
Many experienced production partners offer some strategic input here, though the core business messaging should ultimately come from your team's expertise.